Brand purpose has never been more under the spotlight. Over the last few years, brands have seen their ethics and values tested in a way no one anticipated. The pandemic. Climate change. Black Lives Matter. And now a war in Ukraine.

Never has it been so easy - or important - for consumers to hold brands to account. And in the age of social media, there is nowhere left to hide for those who are not practicing what they preach.

As such, the purpose of a business is no longer to just maximise profit. The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 68% of consumers believe they have the power to force corporations to change - with 86% of people expecting CEOs to speak out on societal issues.

And we can see that the brands who commit to change gain a competitive advantage. A study by Deloitte found that high-growth brands (those with 10% or more annual growth) are translating purpose into action in markedly different ways from their lower-growth peers.

For some, purpose can feel like a lot of pressure. As if the weight of the world and the future of humanity rests on your shoulders. But you are a brand – not a world leader – so why not use the opportunity to make something not only meaningful but genuinely engaging?

Playful is powerful

Purpose has the potential to be playful when it is authentically rooted in a business.

Ford exemplified this perfectly with its ‘Very Gay Raptor’ campaign. Ford has committed over 25 years to LGBTQIA+ advocacy and inclusivity, so following a homophobic comment, it took a stand.

The brand responded to a tweet describing the colour of the new Ranger Raptor as “gay” by giving the truck a digital makeover featuring gold glitter paint and a huge rainbow. However, Ford didn’t just stop there. It then went ahead and gave the Ranger a real-life makeover and the very real ‘Very Gay Raptor’ was born.

What began as a standalone response became something much bigger - capturing attention around the world and generating over 180 million media impressions. All made possible by an authentic purpose that could be playfully expressed.

Liberating not limiting

To attract consumers to a brand, we need to make people care.

Products and services need to make business sense and solve consumer needs. But to move products and services, you need to move people. And this involves understanding what takes them from consideration to purchase.

Nowadays, that means standing up for your brand’s purpose in the quiet moments just as much as it does in the loud ones.

Whilst reactive activity can prove powerful, purpose should be proactive at its heart. Moving away from delivering creative solutions in response to the nearest problem and instead develop opportunities and ideas at the source.

You can’t just care about societal injustice during Black History Month - or care about climate change on Earth Day.

Brands without purpose will fail to grow both their revenues and their people. And will always be defined by what they do rather than what they say.

Purpose should be liberating, not limiting. And brands that have a purpose rooted in authenticity, and exemplified with action, will find themselves freer than ever before.